Grow Up Happy -- Manage Stress
People often think of stress as an adult condition, but school performance, peer pressure, and social expectations can be regular sources of stress and anxiety in children, even toddlers.
It's important to let your child know that stress is a natural part of life and becomes harmful only when the problems and hassles of daily life become unmanageable.
At that point, it may interfere with social, academic, and psychological development. Over time, chronic exposure to stress also can impair the immune system, affect cardiovascular health, and may even lead to certain diseases or make existing ones worse.
On the other hand, learning how to effectively manage stress has the short-term benefits of giving children a sense of control and making them more relaxed and healthier. The long-term benefits include a stronger immune system and reduced susceptibility to life-threatening diseases, such as heart disease and cancer.
Help your child develop ways to cope with normal everyday stressors, whether they arise at home, school, or with friends.
Try this exercise in handling stress:
First, think up different stressful situations with your child and either talk about them or have him write about them.
Next, try role-playing the scenarios; work together to figure out constructive ways to deal with stress.
Then, teach him how to transfer these coping strategies to other situations.
Explain how humor can be used to buffer bad feelings and situations. Being able to see the humor in everyday mishaps can help him keep things in perspective. Also, help your child learn to pace himself. Too many activities and responsibilities can lead to overload.
Finally, remember that your child learns from you, so set a good example. When you're under extra stress, make sure that you are not passing it along to your child. Demonstrate self-control and coping skills. Encourage cooperation rather than competition.
RealAge Projection: If children develop close connections with their peers when they're young, they're likely to have strong friendships as they get older. These relationships will help them through stressful times and could make their RealAge from 2 to 30 years younger.
